By now, we all know that smoking is bad for our health and that we need to quit if we want to live a longer, happier, healthier life. However, no matter what the reason was for starting smoking, it is an addictive behavior, and therefore it’s hard to stop, even if it’s something you want to do.
One of the issues when it comes to quitting is that people don’t know what to do as a replacement. Apart from the addictive nature of nicotine, which is certainly an issue, the biggest problem is that smoking is a habit, and quitting a habit is hard unless you have something healthier to replace it with. With that in mind, some relaxing alternatives to smoking might help.
Get Some Fresh Air
If you’re used to going outside to have a cigarette, you might immediately start craving one every time you leave the house. This is only to be expected, and since it is a major trigger for smoking, it is a worthwhile area to work on.
Fresh air is good for you, and it can be extremely relaxing as well. Therefore, rather than lighting up a cigarette when you’re outside, try focusing on the nature around you instead. Take some deep breaths and inhale not cigarette smoke but the wonderful scents of the natural world. As time goes by, your lungs will start to heal themselves when you are no longer smoking, so you’ll be able to take deeper and deeper breaths, helping you stay motivated as you’ll see you’re making real progress.
Try Vaping
Vaping can be an excellent alternative to smoking, and many people find that it helps them transition from being a smoker to being a non-smoker. A vape pen is essentially an electronic cigarette, but rather than harmful chemicals and addictive substances like nicotine and tar, you use vape ‘juices’, which come in a variety of different flavors. You’ll see lots of options from Nectar Medical Vapes to choose from.
Since your body feels as though it’s smoking because you’re holding a ‘cigarette’ and breathing in vapor, your cravings will be less, but since you’re not breathing in the harmful elements, your health won’t be affected.
Exercise
Exercise might not sound particularly relaxing, but it can be. If you exercise enough, you’ll produce serotonin, and this is a hormone that makes you feel calm, relaxed, and happy. It will give you the feeling you might experience from smoking, but since you are exercising to achieve that feeling, you’re actually improving your health rather than destroying it.
Exercise doesn’t have to be done at the gym or in a class. It doesn’t have to be formal at all. Instead, you can simply go for a brisk walk, go swimming, take a bike ride somewhere beautiful, or jog up and down your stairs a few times. Take it slowly, to begin with, and as time goes by, you’ll find exercise is not only easier but fun too.
